Ashok Chakra

[AmIHindu]

Namaste,

In our national flag, Ashok Chakra there 24 spokes (If my GK about Bharat it correct) so I was thinking why there are only 24 spokes only, why not 23 or 25 ?

I am not sure but I read book - Gospel of Sri Ramkrishna, in his teaching he has mentioned that there are 24 cosmic principles , so do you people think that, those 24 spokes represents these 24 cosmic principles ?

Where can I find list of these 24 cosmic principles in our scriptures.

[yajvan]

　
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Originally Posted by AmIHindu

Namaste,

In our national flag, Ashok Chakra there 24 spokes (If my GK about Bharat it correct) so I was thinking why there are only 24 spokes only, why not 23 or 25 ?

I am not sure but I read book - Gospel of Sri Ramkrishna, in his teaching he has mentioned that there are 24 cosmic principles , so do you people think that, those 24 spokes represents these 24 cosmic principles ?

Where can I find list of these 24 cosmic principles in our scriptures.

The principles I think he is offering is that of the śāṁkhya school. You will find 24 there ( some say 23 + 1, Some say 24 + 1)

praṇām

[satay]

namaste,

Originally Posted by AmIHindu

Namaste,

In our national flag, Ashok Chakra there 24 spokes (If my GK about Bharat it correct) so I was thinking why there are only 24 spokes only, why not 23 or 25 ?

We were taught in school in India that the 24 spokes are for each of India's states. At the time there were only 24 states in India. Now there are more but he flag hasn't been modified to reflect the new ones.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


Why call it aśoka cakra ( chakra) ? Aśoka is defined as not causing sorrow. We know too that aśoka was a emperor of early India. If one does some research they will see the connection to Buddhism.

Aśoka was also a name of a minister serving king daśaratha.

praṇām

[satay]

namaste,

Originally Posted by yajvan

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


Why call it aśoka cakra ( chakra) ? Aśoka is defined as not causing sorrow.

Good point.

[Believer]

Originally Posted by satay

namaste,



We were taught in school in India that the 24 spokes are for each of India's states. At the time there were only 24 states in India. Now there are more but he flag hasn't been modified to reflect the new ones.

I think there were only 14 states of the new republic in 1947. So, the 24 spokes must have come from somewhere else.

[AmIHindu]

Namaste,

The principles I think he is offering is that of the śāṁkhya school. You will find 24 there.

Sri Ramkrishna has referred to Samkhya School 24 cosmic principles. Confirmed with Sri Ramkrishna Mission.

Why call it aśoka cakra ( chakra) ? Aśoka is defined as not causing sorrow.

Ashok Chakra has 24 spokes and it is called Ashoka Chakra because it appears on number of edicts of Ashoka. The main edict is the Lion Capital of Sarnath which is National Emblem of Republic of India. Ashoka Chakra is depiction of Buddhist Dharmachakra. We have accepted it as Wheel represents motion. Stagnation is death and there is a life in movement.

These 24 spokes represents 24 virtues. List as

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ashoka_Chakra.svg
2 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th..._Ashoka_chakra

I am not sure how authentic is wikipedia but it also say 24 spokes represents, 24 hours in day and it also say it represents 24 states of India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka_Chakra.

Dharmachakra is symbol for Buddhism and it is represented by Chariot wheel. Dharmachakra can have 8 or 12 or 24 or 48 ( Japanese Buddhism) spokes. Dharmachakra can have 31 spokes also representing 31 realms of existence.

24 spokes of Dharmachakra represents The Twelve Laws of Dependents Origination and The Twelve Laws of Dependents Termination
(Paticcasamuppada).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paticcasamupp%C4%81da

It is still confusing what represents 24 spokes in Ashoka Chakra, difficult to find authentic sources.